Project Vocaloid
by Darkskyer Mako
Summary: Len is comfortable with his life, years after the split-up of the main Vocaloid group. Sort of. He's tired of the daily grind, the routine, the triviality. Still, that's better than seeing his old bandmates again... [FCs galore]
1. Prologue

This is the story of the week that changed everything. For Len, at least.

It started the same day the school cycle started, and for the blonde, the whole thing began with a day off. His boss, a man who had been working for thirty years or more, told him he was starting to look like a raccoon rather than a man, and that if he didn't take a day off, his boss would break his hand. It was all in good nature, of course. The man had been his teacher when he was studying to be a lawyer, and he was working under his wing now. That man had known him for a few years, so he simply shrugged it off and said "alright".

And that's how he took his first day off since he started working as a lawyer.

Maybe the man was right, he did look like a raccoon with those bags under his eyes.

He was thinking about that as his deep blue eyes stared at him from a cheap mirror at the convenience store. It was… early. There were a few people in there. A woman, around thirty-something, trying to decide between two phone charms and two students, clad in their uniforms, clearly playing truant; at some point, the woman walked towards him and shoved both charms on his face, demanding "which one" with a determination that would make his twin sister submit to her will.

"Uh, the pink one?" was his awkward reply, and the woman nodded, satisfy.

"Thank you, young man… Oh, you have a pretty face. Have you considered being an idol?"

"Ah? Nah, nonsense. Besides, I'm too old for that…"

"Is that so? Well, you don't look a day past twenty-four, if it helps" the woman shrugged "Thanks a lot!"

And she left him alone, happy with her purchase. The students were watching them, and they exchanged playful glances when he glared at them. "Cougar", one of them mentioned under her breath, but he pretended not to listen.

He only _looked_ twenty-four, after all.

Back to his shopping. He wasn't sure of what he was supposed to do. The house was clean, stocked with groceries and his friends were working. Even his best friend. So… yeah. He was bored. Len was bored, and a bored Kagamine is not a good Kagamine.

But at this hour, especially during school days, there wasn't much he could do. It was… boring. Of course, a city is always noisy and it always is boiling with activity, but there's always an empty hour in which it's activity decreases. Or at least, it was like that for him. Maybe because he was alone, in a convenience store, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and the whole experience felt surreal.  
He shrugged it off. He grabbed a phone charm (one with a metallic chain and a yellow star), paid for it quickly and left. He didn't want to be home just yet.

He'd just take a walk, clear off his mind and… who knows. Maybe he'll find something to do.

 _The only thing he couldn't tolerate, is the lack of activity._

* * *

For the students of the 2-A class, the hour was crawling slowly down a long, endless hallway of monotony and boredom.

For Reiko, also known as Leech, it was quite a lot slower.

First, her seat was in the middle row, and it was the closest to the door, therefore, the only thing to stare at was either the English teacher (whose monotonous, droning voice had the entire class almost in tears), or the wall. First day of school, and she had already memorized the stupid sign that told them to clean the classroom before leaving. There was also a whole different problem. Behind her, there was a boy.

A boy with the exact same shade of blonde hair that she had. A boy with sharp, green eyes and a pretty face. A boy who was poking her in the back with a ruler, in order to make her rage.

It was working.

"Rikku, knock it off…" she whispered, angrily. The boy snickered, and kept poking at her back, between her shoulders. She shuddered a bit, and bit her lower lip to avoid another burst of anger. The teacher continued, relentless, telling them about verbs or something. She wasn't sure why she was taking that class, maybe because it was in the curriculum and it was mandatory. But she was bored. And Rikku, her twin (fraternal, mind you) brother was bored too. And as it was said, a bored Kagamine is NEVER a good Kagamine.

"Rikku…" she warned him again, after a particularly painful jab. The boy was radiating self-satisfaction, and she didn't want any trouble. Not yet. She'd have all the time in the world later, around mid-year, to choke her brother until he was blue in the face.

Another poke.

"Bastard…" she coughed.

"In English, Miss?" the teacher called her out. She heard Rikku's almost imperceptible laugh behind her, and blushed. "Nothing, sir, just… thinking out loud." An apology was better than nothing, so the teacher nodded.

"Don't let it happen again" he warned her, and continued droning. At least, one of her classmates must have been asleep by then, pity it wasn't Rikku. Because he was poking her again. She'd murder him. She'd definitely murder him.

To anyone else, this was just a brother annoying his sister. To Leech, it was clear he had malicious intent behind his actions, because she lived with him, she saw him on a daily basis and she knew she'd be doing the same. Nothing, absolutely nothing in the world would give her more satisfaction than her brother being sent to the counsellor's office. Nothing.

 _The only thing they couldn't tolerate, were each other._

* * *

 _Life is too short to look so down, cheer up! Love ya!_

He stared blankly at the yellow post-it stuck to his door, and the flowery, girlish calligraphy used to write that sickeningly syrupy inspirational note. As usual, he shrugged it off, removed it from the door and unlocked it, only to step into his parlour. An empty house was always silent, but he was never there to witness it first-hand. Only the quiet snores of the family Shiba, Blue Sky —also known as Biscuit, because Reiko hated when they misnamed the mutt— disturbed the silence.

But it wasn't enough. Rin was working, Reiko and Rikku were studying —he hoped—, and he was… well. The silence was deafening, and it made him feel worse.

Len had been in a rough path for a while, and the daily grind and running from one side to the other helped to mitigate the constant feeling of vertigo, but now there was nothing he could use to take his mind off, so the sensation returned tenfold. He heard the quiet steps of the dog, as it walked slowly to greet him. Finally.

"Are you going to run and jump and be a normal dog for once?" he asked, kneeling. Blue Sky just tilted his head and sat down "at least pretend you're happy to see me, damn it"

He wagged his tail, jumped on his owner, and Len scratched him behind his ears. As soon as his hand left his coat, Blue Sky ran off, slumped on the couch and proceeded to sleep his head off again. As usual. Meanwhile, the blonde stood up and patted the dust and dog fur out of his clothes. For now, he supposed he could start with dinner.

He ignored completely the light of the phone, on a table near the couch. Blinking, signalling new messages.


	2. C1: An Introductory Crash Course on the-

He woke up to the sound of rain blanketing the city.

Groaning, Len sat up. He had been napping on the couch, a beige seat made of synthetic leather, and his face had gotten stuck to it, so sitting up had been uncomfortable. Blue Sky was pawing at his leg, and something smelled delicious, like chocolate and glory; so tempting... He stood up and followed the smell until he reached the kitchenette. There, among the cream-colored walls and the expensive-looking countertop, dwelled an angel...

"Finally, he awakes"

A woman his age, with blonde hair and big blue eyes, was microwaving something.

"Wh-? Aren't you working?"

"About that..."

Her name was Rin, and she was his twin sister. Rin used to be a spitfire when younger, and that hadn't changed at all: ever since she was born, Rin Kagamine had been a cheerful, happy-go-lucky, energetic person who held a bit of common sense in her. Rin was an expert on keeping him, her brother, grounded, and they relationship was as intimate as it could be without dwelling in... strange territories. His other half, yet not in that way.

To translate it: no, he was not in love with his sister.

Always together, ever since their birth, they were inseparable. Len always had a hard time faring without his sister, and he often admitted he needed her to function properly as a person. He supposed it was the same for her, because when she was kicked out of her apartment, Rin had crawled towards him, her tail between her legs, asking for a temporary roof until she could find another apartment that suited her well. She was a teacher, see, a music teacher. At a private school, and even if her salary was good, sometimes it wasn't quite enough.

He could never deny her anything, so he opened the door to his home and relinquished some space: part of his room, to be exact. She slept on a futon near the door, and they divided the room with a folding screen so they'd have some privacy. He had considered moving Reiko to Rikku's room, but that was an explosion waiting to happen. So, Rin was sharing a room with him.

Because they had agreed that Rin living with him would be temporary, but she never left. At some point, they reached an unspoken agreement that his house was Rin's now, and that was fine. She was a bit of a freeloader and ate all his food. But he loved her, nonetheless. And as the microwave beeped, signalling the end of the cycle, she reminded him why.

"You shouldn't have..." he told her, as Rin finally showed him what was in the microwave: a brownie. A spongy, soft, delicious brownie. Leech had made those, but he liked them warm.

"You look so tired these days" she told him, and offered the plate with the chocolate goodness with a smirk "so eat it up. I warmed it up just for you!"

Despite "peppy" being Rin's default mood, this was different. Len knew her too well. He set the plate on the counter and strode to his sister; he was taller than her, so he tilted her chin up and frowned. Rin was smiling brightly at him, but he saw the tension gathering at the corner of her lips, as if she was fighting to keep smiling.

"What happened?"

"Why do you ask?" Rin's smile faltered a bit, but soon she regained it.

"You can't lie to me. You can lie to anyone but me, I see right through you."

She was his other half, after all.

"I..." her voice faltered, but he urged her to continue "let go of my face first"

So, he did. Rin rubbed her jaw, jokingly, but Len didn't even smile. He just waited. Now she was in trouble.

He didn't know that another teacher from the same school hated her. He knew she was detested in that school due to her... not so calm, cool and collected personality. But her methods were good, and the children liked her, so her job wasn't in jeopardy.

Until another teacher called her out. Rin had complained, and it ended in a shouting contest and Rin might have slapped her colleague. That was all the school needed to kick her out, without a recommendation letter nor references.

She didn't want to admit it. But this was Len, and he'd find it sooner or later.

"I was fired" she said meekly, as her smile finally faded from her face and she looked at everything but him. "I didn't want you to be angry. I don't want to be a burden"

"You're not a burden" he told her, as soon as he saw tears prickling at her eyes. He tilted her chin up again, and smiled "chin up. We'll figure it out, alright?"

"What"

They both turned around. Leech was there, drenched and dripping all over the kitchen floor, her eyes wide and surprised. Next to her, Rikku covered his ears.

And all hell broke loose.

* * *

Her day was not productive at all. It was spent amongst the mocking laughter of her classmates, and the annoying voice of her brother. Her school didn't have a uniform. They did have one for P.E, so it was easy for her classmates to steal said uniform. So Reiko spent the entire day wearing a simple, lime-green dress and her boots, much to the chagrin of her P.E teacher. The only pair of shoes she was proud to own, to be honest. They were old, and worn, but they were comfortable and that was all it took.

It was almost time to go back home, and the students were cleaning everything up. Rikku was nowhere to be seen, and since nobody cared for her nor her pursuits, she was mostly left alone to rearrange the tables and chairs. At some point, Reiko felt a tug on her ponytail, coming from behind, and she assumed it was just her brother being annoying. She was wrong.

"Hey, Leech?" a soft voice asked. A boy with dark hair and cold eyes, with dark circles under them. He was smiling at her, despite his creepy appearance, and poked at her cheek with one long, cold finger.

"Ishida, may I help you?"

Ishida Souichiro. A young fellow who happened to be one of the most charismatic people in her class. A sixteen years old young man who could charm his way out of any situation, and the nephew of the headmaster. The captain of the Kendo team. What was not to like about him?

"So, am I counting on you for the kendo team this year?" he asked in that soft, clear and calm voice of his, with an enviable impassibleness, as if nothing in the entire world could bring him down. "You're one of our best assets, after all"

A chill crept up her back, but she coughed and kept it under control. Don't show weakness.

"No, I doubt it" He didn't seem happy with her answer, because he frowned and mumbled something under his breath.

"I'm sure we can reach an agreement?"

"I... I want to go back to the dojo where I first learned, and they're fairly strict. So no, I won't be joining the kendo team this yea-"

He slammed his hand on the table she was moving, and Reiko flinched.

"Really, Leech?" he drew out her name "really?"

"I have to discuss this with my father" she said suddenly, and Souichiro's gaze steeled "I've said that I wanted to return to the dojo, so I have to talk to him about this in order to... evaluate my possibilities"

Sou's steel gaze softened visibly.

"Fine" he purred "I hope I can get good news tomorrow. And I suppose your father won't mind sending me a note, informing me of his decision, but I don't want any evasive lies from you. If you don't want to join the team, say it openly, yes? Lee-chy Skee-chy~?"

And he strode off to somewhere else. As soon as Souichiro Ishida left her proximity, she felt a pair of cool hands rubbing her arms. Rikku? What did he want? Instead of angering her, the blonde boy patted her shoulder.

"It's raining" he told her, and pointed at the window where the raindrops were drawing patterns.

"Yeah," she agreed "Raining"

"Let's go home"

And they left the school in a comfortable silence. Despite their differences, they both had a common enemy. It was barely their first day, so Souichiro wasn't particularly hateful. Just... scary. Creepy. With that eerie confidence that made them shiver under his gaze, but not straight out malicious. But he had a whole year ahead of him to remind them of...

Reiko didn't want to think about that.

The ride back home was not eventful. Nothing of importance happened, rather than a lot of thinking and their quiet musings. At some point, they had drifted apart again. Reiko wasn't sure when did the conflict start. At some point in their lives, she and Rikku had decided they didn't like each other, and they began that cold, long war that lasted years. Rikku was frowning again, and scoffing at her every time they made eye contact. Fine. As soon as they stepped on the train station, she made sure to step on his heels to make him trip, at least once. He returned the favour by pushing her against a wall when they were walking down the street, towards the skyscraper where they lived. Rain fell on them, and they made sure to step on every puddle in a weak attempt to splash the other. They pushed each other away to be the first in the elevator. Nothing really different than their daily feuds.

Sometimes, they'd fight. But those occasions were rare, and their confrontations rarely went beyond verbal attacks. She had the advantage, anyways. Ten years of kendo under her belt.

He unlocked the door and went in first, making sure to push her against the door for good measure. And she followed, dripping on the entrance. She removed her shoes, pulled at his hair, he hit her on the back of her head and she tilted her chin up in defiance.

"Do that again" she challenged.

"Fuck off, leech" the nickname, rather than being an affectionate moniker, this time was coated in pure venom. She shrugged it off.

"Bastard" she said, making sure he heard her, and left for the kitchen. Len and Rin were there, pretending that nothing in the world existed but them. And...

Well. Reiko remembered when they were still idols. She was a little brat, around six years old or so, but the rumours of incest had always been there. She had grown wary. Rikku often said she'd believe anything, but a good kick to the shins was enough to make him shut the hell up.

Now, picture the situation: She was drenched, furious and to top it all, the first thing Leech saw when stepping into the kitchen were the twins. Len was tilting Rin's chin up, like in a shoujo manga, and Rin's eyes were puffy as if she had cried.

The blonde male stared flabbergasted at her, as he stuttered trying to come up with something.

"R-Reiko... I swear this is not what it looks..."

Reiko had never been able to be an idol. Not that she was interested. Still. She was a Vocaloid, and her voice was made to sing from rock to opera. Thus, her vocal range tended to be high.

Therefore, Rikku covered his ears as soon as his sister began to inhale. And then, she let out the most hellish, most high-pitched screech ever, and Len's ears were bleeding, and Rin's brain melted, and every damn piece of glass in the house, from the windows to the wineglasses, shattered in a spectacular extravaganza.

Well, not so much. But it was a high pitched screech from hell.

"I KNEEEEEEW IT"

Perhaps, the whole dramatic atmosphere the day was building shattered as well. Reiko's screech was inhumane, an electronic noise that soon became a steady whistle. Len stiffened, his mind ringing from the sound, and he lifted his voice over hers "REIKO, STOP SCREAMING"

She did instantly.

"Thank god. And now, this" he waved at him and Rin "is not what it looks like. So stop making assumptions"

"My father is a sisterfu-"

He clamped his hand over Reiko's mouth. She mumbled something and stared at him with wide eyes, bright and confused. Her whole face was a monument for bewilderment, a perfect sample for a tutorial on "How to look perplexed".

"What's with that baffled face?" he asked, and removed his hand from Leech's mouth. "Now, will you calm down?"

"Yeah"

"She was born screaming, she'll die screaming. How many eardrums have you shattered, fatherfuck-?"

This time, Len clamped his hand over Rikku's mouth.

"I hate when you guys curse, so" he glared at them both "keep it civil. How was your day?"

"It was fine"

Reiko didn't answer, and shrugged it off again. She was doing that an awful lot, lately. Len poked at her cheek, and the girl smiled a bit before rubbing it on her shoulder. "Don't do that"

"Oh, also!"

They both turned around. Rikku, the sneaky bastard, had disappeared to god knows where. Rin had become background noise at some point, but that happened often. Both Len and Reiko were like that: they became so engrossed in their conversations that everyone else shifted to a different plane of existence. Rin had returned to theirs, however, and she was buzzing with energy, shifting her weight from one foot to another. Her previous worry had disappeared —Len knew it was still there, she just didn't show it—, and there was only excitement. A twinkle in her eyes that he had rarely seen before.

"Leechy-Leechy, you're invited too! You and your brother, but still! This concerns you!" she exclaimed, clapping "anyways, Len, today I got a call from Gakupo, I don't know if you did. Remember Gakupo?"

How could he not. In his mind, Len had tried to squish down everything related to Vocaloid.

They were still popular: too many singers not to, but they were the main group. The Eight or Nine lucky ones who happened to be like the very cornerstone of the whole organization. Reiko wasn't part of that group, nor Rikku, but they were pretty much Len's accessories. And Reiko had always been his proudest fan, a tiny little thing staring at his every movement from the backstage. He had felt a pang of sadness when she told him she didn't want to be an idol, but a lawyer.

Anyways, when the main group split up, he had been the one who walked away first, and he had never looked back. He didn't leave in the best terms. So he spent ten or so years squashing every memory down, burning every song lyric, destroying the last vestige of that life that remained on his mind. Yet, he had not been successful.

In short, he did remember goddamned Gakupo.

"I do", he told Rin, nonchalantly "Why?"

"Well, this yearly reunion comes with a surprise!"

Yearly reunion? Again?

Rin's smile widened.

"And it's tomorrow!"


	3. C2: Soirée

Experiences are invaluable. If you have to do something, put bit of effort, a bit of time, and add some years you spent doing a thing and that's it. You've got it, it suddenly turns easier.  
Or so said the woman with the bright pink lipstick that had interviewed her years ago. Luka remembers her, and her stupid habit of chewing bubblegum while talking, of tapping her nails unrhythmically and her way of talking, too condescending, too… fake.

But that was the industry: her job as an agent was to take a girl, any girl she was given, and turn her into the next big thing. At least for a while. She had been exclusively paired with a girl called Momoko or Mimiko or something with an M, whose bleached blonde hair reminded her of a certain pair… no. Those two were natural blondes, and their blonde was more… real. Less bleach, more golden. She spoke in a cheery voice, a bit to faked for her liking, but if that was going to be her persona, let her be. She'd have to keep it up for the years to come.

So she arranged a meeting at a café, a small place without much clientele, just enough to survive. At least they had good tea, and such a small, uncrowded place would be perfect. The less people around, the less nervous M-Girl —she'd have to learn her name later— would feel.

This would be her first meeting with this M-girl, and as such, she had brought Miku, her best friend along.

For a very particular reason.

"She's nervous around adults"

That was all her manager told her about the girl, so she had called Miku. With a very specific request.

And so, this girl was charmed by a boy who was unabashedly flirting with her.

The M-Girl definitely seemed more interested in Yuuki than in Luka.

"So..." Luka began, but the girl had giggled, interrupting, as she leaned over in order to pay even more attention to the teal haired boy. Miku gave her an apologetic look, but this was Yuuki. Talking to girls and charming them was second nature to the boy, and this M-Girl was around his age. Maybe a year older, as much.

"I don't know, I do like your hair."

"Shouldn't I dye it pink, then?"

"Many girls have the cute vibe with pink hair" he smirked, and as he grabbed the cup to take a sip of tea, Luka could see how M-Girl was so damn hypnotized by his movements that she ignored everything else "you're unique, right?"

That appeal, that smile. Yuuki reminded Luka of…

Fucking. Blondie.

Fucking Luka's life up since forever, one way or another. His son had inherited his pretentious elegance, and his nonchalant way of moving that, paired up with the boy's natural social butterfly tendencies, made him a lady killer.

Again. Fucking Blondie.

Well, at least this M-Girl was relaxed.

Turning around to talk to Miku only helped to ruin her day even more. Unlike her charming boy, Miku was furiously typing away on her phone, her eyes narrowed in concentration, as if she was trying to discover some mystery on it. Her fingertips flew as she composed message after message and sent them repeatedly. Who was she chatting with? There, clad in her black, low-heeled shoes and pencil skirt, with that blouse… Luka blushed a bit. Her friend was attractive, and her personality only made her even more charming. She stuck her tongue out, she blinked, huffed angrily and pouted…

Miku had always had that girlish charm that had drawn Luka in from day one. A pretty girl with long eyelashes, and long teal hair. All of Miku was simply perfect, even her flaws, at least to Luka, and she wanted to kiss her. Always had. Never could.

Pretty pretty Miku.

"Hey, is everything okay?" at the question, the teal-haired woman dropped her phone, and fumbled inefficiently to stop it, but it fell and the screen shattered. She'd have to have it fixed.

"No," While Yuuki and the M-Girl continued flirting, Miku took back her phone and shoved it into her purse. Her hands were shaking "It's just… Gakupo. About tonight. Kagamine, confirmed."

Rin Kagamine was pretty much a permanent presence in their yearly reunions. She never missed one, she was always eager, she was simply happy to be around them all together one more time. That was it. Miku never showed any kind of apprehension towards Rin before, and Luka knew that. She heard M-Girl's giggles as she snorted. Yuuki was distracted, otherwise he'd be all over his mother by now.

"What's wrong?"

"Kagamine, confirmed"

"So? It's just Rin"

"Both of them" Now Luka understood "Twins confirmed"

They apologized to M-Girl and decided to reschedule the whole reunion. She agreed, shooting Yuuki a charming glance and a small wave.

At least, the boy had fulfilled his task: make sure she's comfortable.

As they hurriedly left the café, Miku made sure to stop in every damn store they'd find. Yuuki didn't mind, as he had snatched a new jacket and a pair of sunglasses, but Luka knew why she was doing that.

She never had a chance, did she? Because Miku was trying to find a new dress.

She could read the woman like an open book, and she'd never do such a thing for any of her exes. And then, there was him. She saw a bit of him in the fourteen years old boy who happened to be texting away, even under layers and layers of Miku, he was there.  
She didn't… dislike Len, per se. Well, she did. She always did. When they first met, she had pegged the blonde as someone cold and moody, downright rude.  
That wasn't the case, and maybe that's why she disliked him.

She disliked her rivals.

But she disliked the effect he had in her.

Because he could turn her lovely Miku into a petty schoolgirl trying to show the boy that rejected her what he was missing. Well… Luka tuckered a lock of hair behind her ear and shook her head in contemplation. She shouldn't judge him. She hadn't seen the guy in years, and never really bothered with talking to him much. She was being childish, and she had always been.

"Maybe it's time to change that"

"Hmm? What was that, Luka?"

"Oh?" Blue eyes stared at her, hidden under a pair of black sunglasses "Nothing, sorry"

Yuuki shrugged and returned his gaze to his mother, who was drowning in a pile of dresses.

"You know, looking like her is great, many women would kill to be forever young or something. But… I don't know. I feel that she's trying to dress like a woman she doesn't look like. Something more youthful would be better, don't you agree?"

He tilted his head to a side for good measure, and made sure to check every reaction Luka had. The woman first nodded, and squirmed a bit under his gaze, but she forgot about it. It was true. Miku was trying to shove herself into a tight black dress, but that was…

"It looks too…"

"It doesn't really suit her, does it?"

"What are you trying to prove, Yuuki?"

The boy smiled nonchalantly, and that was his answer.

* * *

Somewhere else, a few hours later, someone else was having trouble.

"Why do we have to go?"

"You were invited as well"

"Yes, but-"

He returned his hairbrush to its rightful place and tied his hair up into his usual ponytail. Maybe he should finally cut it and be done with it, but not now. He felt that the occasion didn't need to be so formal. Casual jeans that fit him well, a white t-shirt up and a jacket. That was all he'd do for that reunion. He wanted it to be forgettable, and didn't really want to dress up much. His mood was… well.

And Rikku wasn't really perceptive, but when someone's bad mood is palpable, it simply cannot be ignored. And Len enjoyed playing dress up when he could, whenever he was not wearing a suit that… why should he lie? Everything looked good on him. Rikku often believed Len was more stylish than him, and he was the one who wanted to be a fashion designer.

"Does this meet your standards?" The older male asked. It did, if he was going for casual and plain. Rikku himself was much more dressed up than him, in a green jacket and a white button up. Hell, he was even wearing a tie, but Rikku was a teenager, so he could definitely be bolder with his clothes.

"It does. You could dress a bit more aggressive"

"I don't want to make a fuss" Len smiled at him, but Rikku noticed how tense his shoulders were. _I don't want to_ _go_ was the real message. "Also, I'm an adult"

"Dress the way you look or something. You could pull something more youthful"

It was true. Not a single wrinkle marred his face, not a sign of the age that he often saw in Len's coworkers. Vocaloid, he supposed. Many people would kill to look forever twenty-four.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?"

"A guy just joined us and he's thirty or so. He looks down on me, as if I were a kid…"

"You're not really much older than him" Rikku pointed out "Just four years"

"Yeah but… you know"

"You can't help it. Unless they do the whole… update, was it?" Len shrugged again. "You look great, stop messing around with your hair"

Len laughed. A musical sound that was quite rare. The boy folded his arms across his chest and sighed in defeat. Someday he'd get him to dress more boldly. That'd do for now. Despite his protests, as previously stated, Len liked playing dress-up.

"Hey, Rikku"

"Hmm?"

"I just noticed. I'm barely a few centimeters taller than you"

Len had moved towards him at some point, and now was comparing their heights. Sometimes, Rikku'd do that with his sister. Never with him.

"Yeah, didn't you know?"

"I never really paid much attention to it. I mean, you rarely get close enough to check. I was sure you were a bit taller than your sister…" Len frowned, but shrugged altogether "You two have the same height… oh, sorry"

At Rikku's annoyed face, he stopped. Reiko was a sore spot for him.

"When do girls stop growing?"

"Around fifteen, I guess?"

"How lucky…" Len said, smiling nervously "she won't grow taller than me, after all…"

"But I might" Rikku winced as Len's smile tensed up a bit "I'm sorry"

"I begged for an update with a decent height. Years, Rikku. Don't grow taller than my accomplishment"

"That's not something I ch-"

"Hey, Blondie and Blondie number two!"

Rin was leaning against the door, staring at them with an impatient glance. Her arms were folded against her chest, and over the white blouse she was wearing along with a black skirt, and stiletto heels.

"See?" Rikku told him "She knows how to dress"

But Rin had always looked younger, even now.

It was the ribbon. One day they'd get her to remove that stupid ribbon, and that day, it'd be glorious.

"Neru says she's coming with us, and she's waiting for you. Pronto. Come on!"

Len stuck out her tongue at her and left quickly.

"And Left exits right. Good for him. Are you ready, Rikku?" Rin was buzzing with energy, clashing with her brother's gloomy aura. That was her as usual, and while Len followed her in her… excitement, tonight it was different. Rin was dancing a little jig in her place, so that'd be enough to cover Lord Grumpy's grumpiness.

"I guess?"

"This will be GREAT!" she screeched, and quickly captured the boy into her arms. She could no longer swing him around, he was taller than her, but she could squeeze her favorite until he was blue on the face. So she did, and when she allowed him to go after the older blonde, she shot him a wink and clapped "knock them dead! I heard someone's got a ninety-eight in today's exam!"

Rikku smiled, feeling a bit self-conscious. But Rin's voice was coated with pride, so he let it slide.

He was feeling a bit proud himself.

As soon as he stepped into the living room, he didn't have time for pleasantries. Neru Akita, a blonde woman with this imposing demeanor, started shoving them all —the twins, Leech and Rikku himself— out of the apartment. Len was laughing the whole time, and Neru pushed him against the wall once, which did nothing to stop his amusement.

Neru had a car. Unlike the rest of them, she happened to live in a house, not an apartment, with Haku, her girlfriend, who was currently at home. So she was the one chosen to take them there. Neru driving, Len in the front seat, Rin in the middle with Reiko to her left and Rikku to her right. Perfect.

That didn't stop them from swatting at each other now and then, but nothing as eventful nor serious as they expected. And the journey didn't even take long.

"We could have walked…" Len said, as he stared out from the window and saw that it was at walking distance. Neru chortled, and she pushed him a little again.

"Oh, live a little, blondie. Who the heck wants to walk?"

"Walking is healthy…"

"Says the gal who's been doing kendo since age six. Of course it's healthy for- Hey, Leech?"

Kendo. Rikku winced. He'd have to tell Len about that, because the girl flinched as soon as they mentioned the sport. He had a culprit already, the wrongdoer well known, as he had been doing since first year. What made them think that the guy would stop tormenting them after that?  
Reiko was in the kendo team again.

Why was this so serious?

Right.

"Uh… Can we talk about that later?" his question had been directed at Len, who nodded solemnly and refused to answer Neru's queries about that.

* * *

A few hours ago, Miku was choosing a dress. She had chosen one, ran home with Yuuki and Luka, and ended up being overdressed. Or so she thought. Everyone was so… so casual.

Meiko had a black dress with blue details, tight and well-fitting that matched Kaito's light blue shirt. The power couple, always together and in love… Miku frowned bitterly. Her love life was not important, not that night. She had taken a ride with them, along with Luka and Yuuki, and their youngest addition: Haru, her youngest daughter, only one year younger than Yuuki, who was casually wearing a purple dress and ignoring everyone else, as usual.  
Miku felt… odd. She looked younger than her age, that was a requirement to be a Vocaloid, apparently. She had been called Haru and Yuuki's older sister enough to know that this wasn't just a case of "oh, it's just the light"; and the dress… well. She felt like a teenager that had borrowed her mother's clothes. It was a cocktail dress with a flared skirt, that was it, but she felt she looked older. Luka's sheer dress accentuated curves that Miku herself didn't have, and she felt self-conscious about it, but decided to remain quiet.

The restaurant was nice, at least: an upscale place, well-lit and decorated in blacks and whites. The menus were all electronic, a lightweight screen that showcased only the names, but there were waiters, dressed in black shirts and slacks. She had liked it: it was also big, it had huge windows and it provided her with at least three escape routes because Len Kagamine was coming, and she didn't want to see him.

Lily and Gumi, a blonde and a green haired woman, joined them soon after. They both spoke in hushed tones. She didn't pay attention to their clothes, just that Gumi was wearing an orange dress and Lily… well. The leather jacket suited her.

And so, they waited half an hour.

The Kagamine twins weren't there. Teto Kasane, twin drills, had made an appearance, invited just as the rest of them. Kaito, Meiko, Teto, Lily, Gumi, Luka herself and…

Oh, it was just Gakupo. The man beamed at Luka, but her pink-haired friend just offered a small smile in return.

And he took a seat, and Miku simply decided they were not coming. So they called a waiter, ignoring the five empty chairs. Rin and Neru could be great, Miku considered, and she really wanted to see Reiko and Rikku.

Just… not him.

"So," She decided to begin "I'm happy to see you all! I mean, I see you guys a lot, it's just that I don't see you all together all the time"

"Rin's not here" Lily pointed out, and Miku shrugged.

"Maybe she's got something to-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Kaito, as gentlemanly as usual, pointed out to someone.

Len and his clique.

Miku seethed.

And at the same time, blushed. He had a thing for looking boyish, in that stupid jacket and that white shirt and… and his face. His youthful face, that offered them a bright smile, despite his very visible discomfort. His sister was trailing behind him, cheerful as usual, and Neru excused herself to make a call as soon as she waved at them. At least he brought Reiko and Rikku along, both kids trying to snatch a seat as away from each other as they could. Once they were happy with their places, only then they greeted everyone else. Well, Rikku did.

Reiko simply remained quiet. As if something had made her uncomfortable.

But the focus was not on them, but on Len himself.

"The Schrödinger's Len" Lily purred "you've been avoiding us for the past nine years! How have you been?"

Miku felt something akin to satisfaction when she saw the way Len grimaced, and quickly put his smile back in place. Good. Squirm, you little worm. Squirm away.  
He sat next to her, unfortunately, because Rin had pulled him there, and she occupied her place to his right. Only one chair remaining, at Gumi's right, as Meiko was occupying her left. Kaito next to Meiko, Luka in front of Kaito and Miku next to her.

At least she had Luka.

"I've been okay, I guess? These two kept my hands full"

Rikku beamed at his elders. Her charming boy. She hadn't seen him in an entire week! Well, she figured that with the whole classes beginning soon and such… Rikku had a good excuse. So did Reiko. They were probably getting ready.

Yuuki and Haru were murmuring, oblivious to everyone else. Soon, Rikku joined them. So that was that.

"You've been avoiding us" Meiko said.

"He actually hung up on me" Gakupo cried, mock-offendedly.

Ah, right.

Miku couldn't focus on the kids because Len was there. Getting all the attention he deserved. She glowered, how dare he? He never showed up to their previous gatherings, he had always been a…

He was blushing. Len was blushing, mortified, looking dejectedly to a side, to his sister. Neru returned and patted his back on the way. His fucking best friend… But…

 _Why. Why is he so damn cute, adults are not supposed to be cute!_

He was. His youthful smile, his boyish face that still somehow was older than when she first met him. He looked twenty-four, yes, but at the same time, he looked like a little kid. Slim, with a long blonde mane that he tied up in a ponytail, and was as unruly as its owner. Big blue eyes… She missed Luka's pained stare, and she missed her own tinted cheeks as well. He had a big effect on her.

And, apparently, so did she on him. He stared at her, still being questioned by everyone —especially Gumi— yet not really paying attention, to it. Until his eyes zeroed on her, and her dress or something. She heard Reiko snicker, why, she had no idea.

Len was almost begging for a distraction, a decoy so he'd stop being in the spotlight.

 _Well, what did you expect? You can't pretend you're dead to everyone for nine years with no consequences._

She might as well forgive him.

The waiter arrived, and took everyone's orders quickly, leaving them alone. Well, yeah, a big group of people can be quite intimidating. Gumi was about to begin her questions again.

"Oh, I just saw Rikku's here! Len, why didn't you tell us you brought him?"

That was Gumi, interested in everyone and everything, who reached out to the young boy. Rikku blushed a bit at the sudden attention, but as usual, smiled politely and waved at Gumi. "Yeah, I'm sort of his accessory"

"You're not an accessory, Rikku!" Rin quickly wrapped her arms around the boy, and pulled him close to suffocate him with her love or whatever "You're my favourite, my cute Rikku and my son"

"He's not your son, cut it off"

"Don't kill my fun, Len. Fun-killer"

"Aaaanyways!" Gumi reached out and pulled Rikku out of Rin's grasp. The blonde went willingly, used to being thrown around "How's school?"

"It's only our second day… Uhm… our Math's teacher took a test to see how much we still had from last year. I got a near perfect score, so I'm quite proud of it! Also, Leech's in the kendo team again…"

"Near perfect… So cool!"

Lily, who had seemingly gotten bored from the entrée, decided to participate in the conversation. "You've always been the smart one, Rikku" And that was it. That was her entire participation, as the waiter brought more of whatever she had been eating until then.  
However, that was enough to make Rikku blush a bit.

"It's… I'm just hardworking, you know? It's not that it was easy, I just… you know. Study a lot. I want to get into a good university one day"

"With those grades, he will!" Rin had gotten a hold of the water bottle and now was drinking directly from it, and Len smacked her —not really hard, just playing, also he didn't have the strength for it. "I'm sorry. I'm just so proud of my son…"

"HE'S NOT YOUR SON"

"Let me adopt him, then!"

"Rin…"

"Anyways, what do you want to study?"

"Oh? Oh!" Rikku perked up again "Something fashion related. I mean, I wanted to be a lawyer at first but that's Leech's stage, right?"

Leech nodded meekly.

"So, I discovered I like designing and making clothes so I want to be a fashion designer. I made Leech's dress, for example. So now you'll only have two lawyers in the family, AND a fashion designer"

"Oooh. And you, Yuuki?"

"I want to be a photographer"

"Your dream sucks" Haru smirked, elbowing her brother a bit "Rikku's got a better dream. Learn from your older brother"

"How mean, Haruhi. What do YOU want to do?" Despite his taunt, Haruhi shrugged confidently, still smirking, and laid back on her chair.

"A teacher. I'm still glad because my elders want to be something cool when grown up, I feel my dream is a bit basic… But still, a photographer and a fashion designer in our family…"

"That's great. I wish you guys luck then! To our future fashion designer, photographer and teacher" Gumi cheered, raising her glass as if she was making a toast, and then, turned around to gossip a bit with Meiko.

"Any advice for your younger brother, Rikku?"

The blonde simply loved the spotlight. He leaned on his chair and shrugged at Yuuki, as his eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Don't go swimming in lakes. Leech tends to dwell in those. And she tends to bite people in the ass"

"Such a smart guy. Where'd you learn that? From experience?" Reiko, also known as Leech, finally spoke and slammed her hands on the table. Len quickly focused on them, narrowing his eyes and waiting.

"Perhaps. You're weird, sister. Shipping the twins... I'm a bit scared of you"

"Let me tell you guys a story…"

"Reiko…"

Len's warnings fell on deaf ears, as Reiko stood up, smirking. He grabbed the hem of her shirt and forced her to sit down. Miku, on the other hand, stared at Rikku and could breathe easily once she saw Rin ready to stop him should the occasion arise. But he was smirking again, ready for their daily banter. Whoever said bringing the twins along was a good idea, he'd have to murder.

Rin.

Rin was his target

"There was once an arrogant, mean, selfish and pretentious little bitch called Rikku" Everyone went silent "who only spoke about how much of an ass he actually could be"

"Reiko, that's completely uncalled for! Stop it!"

"But he is a bitch, father! Look at him: look at his smug, self-satisfied smirk and the way he… He is a bitch! Rikku is a bitch!"

"Reiko," Len's voice had turned calm, with a dangerous edge that the girl didn't miss. And she winced. "Use that word one more time and I'll get mad"

"… Sorry" she sat back. And mumbled something under her breath, which, despite the situation, made Miku smile a bit. Maybe because Leech sounded like a little girl, and Len finally sounded like an adult. Miku glanced at Len again, once Leech and Rikku's minute of fame was finally over. He was next to her, and opened his mouth to say hi or something. Why was this so awkward? She was mad at him for something he had done recently, but they were in good terms! They saw each other almost weekly! But as soon as he began, Meiko interrupted.

"Ah, right!"

Kaito was buzzing with energy next to her, and so did Rin.

"We have news!" he said.

And the waiter finally arrived.


	4. C3: Soirée, part two

She had never seen a party go downhill so fast.

Nothing happened at first: they ate, they laughed. Leech was being ignored, and she noticed how the girl did her best to become smaller. Her brother's boisterous laugh disturbed her quiet world, on the other hand, such an outgoing boy. Her own brother spoke in curt sentences, each more brief and expressionless than the last. As if he were about to burst in flames at any given time, and scream at the top of his lungs. While he did that, she did her best to compensate for his lack of participation. She laughed and told jokes. She elbowed him now and then, and sporadically stole food from his plate, manners be damned. Not that he minded.

He didn't speak to Miku at all, one or two short sentences at most, but the tension was more than palpable. Solid. She could slice through it with a knife, and it would yield. Perhaps sitting them together was a mistake on her part, Rin assumed — but if they had split up in good terms, why couldn't they talk to each other? They didn't. They never did, and if they did, it was often in short spats that lasted two or three sentences. Her brother always had a snide remark at his tongue, ready to deliver them when convenient. But not today.

"My job is very interesting. I get to develop androids and such. It's cool" Gumi boasted happily, harmlessly, about her new job or something. She glowed with pride, which was amazing in Rin's mind. Seeing them well, adapting, learning and forgetting about the past. It was nostalgic, a glimmer of a past long gone that would never return, but that was so undeniably hers. Theirs, she corrected, looking at her brother, whose sullen face was getting on her nerves by now. Maybe she should have let him skip this reunion. Maybe he'd do better at home, where no one would be able to disturb his newfound world.

But facts were facts: they were made for singing. And as such, she felt antsy. Because, you see, teaching music to children was rewarding, yet not as rewarding as she'd like it to be. Her life was on a stage, after all. Her literal purpose was that. As soon as she opened her eyes to the sterile, blinding white light, she was told she was meant to sing. And so, she did.

And even if her brother denied it, he felt that pull as well.

He poked at his pasta with his fork, Rin noticed, awkwardly trying to forget where he was and failing. Uncomfortable, she observed, far too uncomfortable. Leech was trying to talk, but those were just attempts at forming words. Yet, Lily's raucous laugh and Teto's comments covered her poor attempts at making conversation. Neru and Meiko were chatting. Gakupo and Kaito made jokes and attempted to make Len, the last member of their triumvirate, join them. Well, he didn't.

"Oh" Miku chirped, and, maybe because of instinct, she brushed Len's arm with her hand. He flinched, as if he were either disgusted or embarrassed, but soon he composed himself, and redirected his attention to Leech. They spoke in hushed tones, as well as they could, since she was quite far from him, but they still tried.

"Sorry" Miku apologized, because count on her to notice Len's discomfort. She still scowled at him. "Meiko, didn't you say you had news?"

"Right, sorry!"

Meiko used to be the team mom, team big sister, team fill-as-required. A warm woman with a temper, she was always followed closely by Kaito, who had been a big brother for them when they were younger, and a good friend once they started to grow up. As such, she was respected, and when she spoke, they listened. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and smiled.

"You see…" she began, and Lily cut her off.

"Just get on with it!"

How rude, Meiko scoffed at the blonde, "As I was saying, a week ago or so, I was contacted by… you know"

They didn't need to mention the company, which, at this point, they simply called the Vocaloid Project. Their previous masters, so to speak. Len flinched again, and Neru tensed up, ready to stop him if he were to do something reckless. He didn't, instead, he leaned against the back of his chair and waited.

"They're doing fine without us, as you guys might know. I mean, IA's so talented… But still, they called me and Kaito and offered us a comeback."

Straight to the point. That was their Meiko alright. Len looked down.

"A comeback?" Miku was interested. He leaned over the table, her long teal hair blanketing her back, and her eyes sparkling brightly "How so?"

"They want us all back. All of us. The ones who walked away"

Miku didn't even try to conceal her excitement. She cheered loudly, disturbing the other patrons, and Rin jumped on that bandwagon quickly. Meiko herself seemed to buzz with energy. It was undeniable: they all wanted in. Gakupo offered Luka a glance, and she smiled shyly before nodding; Gumi and Lily were talking again, excitedly, the prospect of new things to come. Kaito clapped once to get everyone's attention.

"They're ready to take us in again, as soon as we'd like"

"Count me in." Miku's answer was straight to the point. Sharp and without a doubt, definitive. Gakupo nodded, he'd have to call his creators and tell them, but Gumi was already calling them. Even Teto, who was never part of this particular project, was imagining things.

"As you'd probably know, Meiko and I have accepted already" the blue-haired man said, leaning against Meiko's shoulder with a killer grin.

"And as usual," Rin spoke "count me and Len in"

And that's exactly when things went downhill. That one sentence.

Len raised his head violently, his eyes narrowing and targeting his sister. His gaze, pure steel.

"Excuse me, but when did I agree to this?" his voice had taken that velvety coat that spelled out danger.

Once again, silence was made.

"Len…" she began, but he stood up.

Miku was a spitfire. The only person who could easily go against his sarcasm. She spoke, as sharp as a knife and just as harmful, her eyes taking a cold coating as well. First, she breathed in, straightening her back and standing up just like him. He was taller than her, so she tilted her chin upwards to stare into his eyes.

"You owe us this" she said, and Len scoffed. What?

"I'm out of here. This is why I never want to see you. You're all just a bunch of leeches, blaming me for all of this…"

"It is your fault, though. If you weren't such a jerk, we'd never have left the project in the first place."

"I never forced you to leave, did I?" his question was a comeback for her accusation, but there was. The little connotation it hid, and carried secretly across the air. Miku got it alright.

"You did. You certainly did."

"Guys, can I have lasagna? I know I just ate but I want to eat-"

"Yuuki," The boy lowered his head, as Len's attention was drawn to him "shut up."

"Yes, sir"

"Don't tell him to shut up, Len"

"I'm leaving, then" tuckering a lock of hair behind his ear, he shot Reiko and Rikku a look and they stood up.

"I… I'd like to stay, if you don't mind" Rikku announced, so he nodded. Alright. Rin would bring him home later. Reiko simply walked towards him, docilly, and he left Rin his wallet to pay. He just wanted to go home, they were at walking distance, he wouldn't need that.

"Coward," Miku spat, "you're a coward, Len. Damn you."

"Hadn't I heard that one before?"

He left, followed by Leech, leaving everyone in silence or just plain annoyed. It wasn't even that big of a scene, the other patrons didn't even notice, but somehow, it made their night bittersweet. Or just bitter.

Well, damn him indeed.

* * *

When Rin got home, along with Rikku, her brother was sitting at the table, lazily stirring a cup of tea with a spoon. Leech was on the floor, for a change, probably playing a game on her phone. The beeps and dings of the game were the only discernible noise, besides Len's rhythmic stirring. The tea had gone cold, and he hadn't taken a single sip.

"You're late" he said, almost mechanically. Now he sounded like the android he was supposed to be, automatic and distant. Rin sat in front of him, her eyes filled with frustrated tears, unshed. The rest of the night had been… well. He had made the climate tense, and he had left, the heavy atmosphere as a souvenir.

"Yeah. Anyways, we're expected tomorrow to sign the contract"

"Rin," his voice had taken that diplomatic edge again, and she didn't want to listen. But she still did, out of respect. Leech stood up behind her, quietly peeking at them. Len spoke again, still in that condescending, monotone voice that she hated.

"I quit, remember? I told them, in no uncertain terms, I was no longer interested in this whole thing. That hasn't changed. We're not signing up for this."

"We are" she raised her voice a notch. She was the older sister, after all, sort of. Following that infantile idea, she locked eyes with him for one minute. His negative was still there, tangible and infuriating.

"You can't drag me there and force me to sing" he deadpanned. Groaning in frustration, Rin swatted at his hand, but he quickly moved it away.

"Len…"

"I'm done with being an idol"

"And I'm done with you!" Slamming her hands on the table, she stood up. And she kicked her chair for good measure, making sure it flew backwards, hitting the wall and nearly missing Leech for a few centimeters, who cowered against the wall.

"You" She pointed a menacing index finger at him, her long nail now akin to a claw, a yellow coated, deadly claw "you're an obstinate moron and I'll sue you for it! Expect a call from my lawyer!"

And she left in a hurry, having kicked a chair, threatened her brother with suing him and almost having killed her niece.

"... I am your lawyer!" he screeched, once he heard their bedroom door slamming "and you can't sue me for being obstinate!"

He wanted to sleep now, so he stood up as well. Less violently, thankfully, and Leech sighed in relief, slumping to the floor again. He made his way to their bedroom and found their door locked.

"Rin, what the hell!? You can't kick me out of my own room! I own the house, you little freeloading…, open the door right now! Rin!"

"Sleep on the couch!"

"Open the goddamn door, I swear! If you're in my bed, I'll gouge your eyes out!"

"Of course, I'm taking the bed!" she opened the door, stuck her tongue at him and shoved a pillow onto him. "Your bed is comfortable"

And then, she slammed the door on his face.

"... Very mature, how old are you, ten!?"

"Eleven! Jackass"

He groaned again, louder this time, and kicked the door in frustration, but didn't attempt to open it. Instead, he walked towards the couch and sat down. Rin'd open the door, eventually. For now…

Leech had gone to god knows where, her whereabouts unknown to him, and the room had gotten surprisingly quiet. Cold as well, because he shivered. Maybe it was because Rin got on his nerves, maybe it was really cold, but he doubted it. Trying to distract himself, he extracted a piece of pink paper from his pocket.

 _I'm sorry you had such a night. I love you._

He didn't know when Leech had put it in there, against the fridge, held up by two magnets. But it helped. She was so sweet, that little girl of his. Or so he thought, because he heard the telltale noises of a fight, coming from Rikku's room.

"Fatherfucker!"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

And something falling. He stood up, tired, and walked quietly, following the noise because he was done. He was pissed, and he would not tolerate that, not that night.  
Just as expected, he had found Leech and Rikku tangled in a fight. This was… odd. They never went past simple quarrels, mostly verbal, perhaps a slap or two. But this… Reiko had both hands wrapped around Rikku's neck, while he threatened her with a shoe, his eyes burning in rage. As usual.

"What's with all this ruck- Reiko! I want your hands off your brother's neck, NOW! Rikku, put that shoe right back where you found it! And you!" he knew Rin was watching, peeking from their bedroom door, probably still throwing a tantrum "Stop throwing a fit and help me with-! Okay, who threw that at me?"

And once again, for the third time that night, everyone went quiet.

"Well, who was it?" He stared at the projectile, a hard-cover book, that had hit him in the side of his face. Some pages were bent and crinkled, and it was open, so he picked it up by one of the covers. Calmly, he straightened out the pages and closed it carefully, and then left it on a nearby table.

"Re-"

"Ri-"

"Quiet. One at a time. If your answers contradict each other, I'll kill you both"

He didn't need to wait for an answer, because a shoe, his own shoe, hit him in the back of his head. And then, he heard a slam.

He seethed.

"Never mind," he told them "go to sleep. I'll deal with her tomorrow"

He wasn't looking forward for tomorrow.


End file.
